PRESS RELEASE
NETRI and Axion BioSystems announce a collaboration to develop MEA-capable compartmentalized microfluidic devices. This joint venture provides the pre-clinical field with the ability to evaluate electrophysiological connectivity between neurons and other cell populations.
NETRI is a French start-up that develops organs-on-chip technologies for pre-clinical neuroscience applications.
Axion BioSystems is a U.S.-based biotechnology company that develops novel bioelectronic platforms and imaging systems to empower life science researchers.
Lyon, France, September 8, 2022 - NETRI, a neuro-organs-on-chip start-up, and Axion BioSystems, a leading life sciences tools company, today announced a collaboration to develop compartmentalized microfluidic devices coupled with high-throughput compatible MultiElectrode Arrays (MEAs)—an advanced technology that will allow neuroscientists to noninvasively measure the electrical activity of neural cells in complex in vitro models and accelerate therapeutic discovery. The joint venture combines NETRI’s deep expertise in microfluidics and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) with Axion BioSystems’ next-generation bioelectronic technologies and high-throughput MEA platforms.
According to Serge Roux NETRI’s Equipment R&D Director, “At NETRI, we believe that interoperability is the key to usher the organs-on-chip revolution at scale. With Axion, rarely have I seen two technologies so perfectly complete each other, with so obvious benefits to the pre-clinical field. I am genuinely excited about the discoveries this will enable.”
Axion BioSystems’ CEO Kevin Gould added, “Modeling the complexities of the human brain and nervous system in vitro has historically been challenging, but organs-on-chip devices are transforming the study of neurological conditions and many other types of disease. This collaboration with NETRI will provide scientists with innovative, high-throughput tools that accelerate scientific breakthroughs for researchers studying Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, and other disorders.”
The collaboration between NETRI and Axion BioSystems to develop MEA-capable compartmentalized microfluidic devices represents an exciting step forward in organs-on-chip technology. The transparent chips, which are lined with microfluidic channels and tiny recording electrodes, will allow scientists in the pre-clinical field to study the cross-functional influence of connected but compartmentalized cell populations and establish relevant electrophysiological biomarkers. Pairing NETRI’s advanced organs-on-chip devices with Axion’s Maestro MEA benchtop systems will ultimately lead to earlier and more relevant models to accelerate neuroscience-related drug screening and overall discovery.
About NETRI (LYON 840248744)
NETRI is an industrial start-up developing innovative technologies for the pharmaceutical industry. Its patented organ-on-chip technologies allow the creation of standardized and predictive human in vitro models. This allows to anticipate the efficacy of an innovative treatment, to accelerate preclinical research phases, and to reposition compounds on new indications, while limiting animal testing. The use of human neural circuits coupled with multiple cell types opens the way to more personalized medicine as well as faster and more relevant diagnostics. Current application areas include neurological disorders, neuro-cosmetics and neuro-nutrition.
About Axion BioSystems
Axion BioSystems is a leading life sciences tools company focused on innovative live-cell assays used to study the function of cells in vitro for drug discovery and disease modeling. The team at Axion BioSystems is dedicated to continuing the advancement of new technologies that accelerate research and further the understanding of biological complexity outside of the body. Axion BioSystems is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and has offices worldwide. Axion has more than 150 employees across its current locations.
